


Support

by Morse_s Child (sherlockstummy)



Category: Inspector Morse (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Late Night Conversations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-31
Updated: 2015-08-31
Packaged: 2018-04-18 05:46:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4694285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sherlockstummy/pseuds/Morse_s%20Child
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Robbie Lewis needs some advice, and can think of only one person to go to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Support

Morse was having a quiet evening in, going through some crosswords and reading a new book when the silence of the night was interrupted.

Tap.

Morse lifted his head, frowning. He knew he had stray cats that had been at his bins, so he put down his head to resume reading, figuring it was nothing.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

That sounded a bit more urgent. And it was definitely not a cat. Morse glanced up, looking properly through the window. In the dim light of the streetlamps across the way, he saw the outline of a man, a slim, tall figure with mussed hair.

Only one man could possibly be calling on him at this hour. Morse looked at his watch to confirm, groaned (damn the dead, so inconsiderate of his lovely night in), and stood to get the door.

“Lewis, whatever this is, it had better be—” But Morse took one look at his sergeant and drew up.

Robbie looked out of sorts in all the wrong ways. His usually cheery face (not even besmirched by the most gruesome of corpses) was drawn, his bright, expressive eyes holding an unusual sadness. He had dressed in a hurry; no jacket, tie askew, hair mussed, shirt half untucked. Hardly like his sergeant, a habitual (and annoying) morning person. 

Morse could feel his face softening. “Come in, Robbie. What’s happened?” With Robbie looking this upset, he was expecting a tragedy of some sort. He stepped aside as he spoke and Robbie floated in like a sleepwalker. Morse watched him, looking for any worrying signs; insomnia, malnutrition, dehydration. Robbie was stubborn to a fault and would rarely let on if he was skipping meals or sleeping badly. Morse had to learn to catch the hints, and even then, being preoccupied with something meant he missed them. “Tea?” He asked.

“I’d like a beer, if that’s all right, Sir.” Robbie said shyly, looking at Morse’s sideboard.

“Go on, help yourself.” Morse walked to his sofa and sat with a grunt. He waited until Robbie had opened the beer and pulled on it to speak again. “What’s wrong, Robbie? It’s too early for a social call.”

Robbie fell into the nearest chair, exhaustion clear on his face. “Our Lyn’s had her heart broken,” he said miserably.

Morse nodded in sympathy; however inconsequential first loves seemed to the outside eye, young hearts, once broken, are not easily fixed. “She took it badly, I expect?”

“She’s so good,” Robbie said miserably, shaking his head and raising a hand to cradle it. “Doesn’t care a mite I have to be out late for me job, never bothers Val ‘n me, does her homework, home on time. Ye’d never know…” He shook his head wordlessly, pulling at his beer again. 

“If she hides that she’s hurt well, she takes after you.” Morse said lightly. “You should be proud.”

Robbie smiled briefly. “I am. She’s a good kid. I jes…” He looked at Morse, emotion clear in his eyes; the protectiveness of a father and clear empathy. “Ye want to protect ‘em, shield ‘em from harm long as ye can, keep ‘em safe and happy…” He sighed. “She jes…started cryin when I asked what was wrong. Lyn’s not a crier, never was. She doesn’t bawl unless there’s a reason, an’ she told me everythin, clingin to me, and I…”

“Don’t beat yourself up for not knowing what to say,” Morse soothed, leaning toward Robbie. “It can be hard to know what they need to hear. I’m sure she took your words to heart.” 

Robbie sat silent, staring at his hands. “What if I…?”

“You’re a good father, Robbie.” Morse said sincerely, with a hint of sternness in his tone. “Don’t doubt that. You’re raising lovely children; it’s only been my pleasure to meet them.” He smiled, watching Robbie reciprocate. “That she told you at all is enough to tell me about how comfortable she is talking to you. If only all kids her age were so lucky.”

Robbie smiled again, and this time, it reached his eyes. “Yeh. Lyn ‘n I, we always had a special bond.”

“Fathers and daughters do, I’m told.”

Thy lapsed into silence, Robbie finishing his beer and Morse absently paging through his book. Morse looked up as he heard Robbie stand. “Are you feeling better?”

“Yeh…” Robbie rubbed at the back of his skull. “I’ve no idea if what I said is right, though.”

“What did you tell her?”

“I told her that he was crazy for breakin’ her heart, that she’d find someone to respect and love her. An’ even if she didn’t, I’d always be there for her.”

Morse nodded. “It sounds perfectly sensible to me. I’m certain Lyn took your words to heart.”

“You think she’ll be okay?” Robbie asked nervously.

“She’s your daughter. What do you think?”

Robbie thought a minute, placing the empty beer bottle back on the sideboard. “I dunno. She’ll be hurt for a few days. All Val an’ me’ll hear is breakup songs.”

Morse chuckled softly.

“But, she’ll be back to her old self in no time. I give it a week, tops.” Robbie said with feeling, surprised at how confident he felt and sounded.

“Well, there you are, then.” Morse stood up to see Robbie out. He clapped him on the shoulder as he walked to open the door. “It seems as if she’ll be fine in a matter of days.”

“Yeh.” Robbie smiled, pocketing his hands. “Thanks fer listenin’, ‘n all.”

“Anytime.” Morse smiled. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Robbie.”

“Oh!” Robbie looked at his watch and blushed. “Yeh…right. G’night, Sir.”

“Goodnight.” Morse stood at the door until Robbie pulled away and then closed and locked up his door, chuckling.

He was glad Robbie looked to him for support. It made him feel like a better man.

**Author's Note:**

> After watching the Lewis pilot again, I couldn't help noticing for the umpteenth time how fond Robbie actually is of Morse. And it's no where near the sadness he feels for Val's death, but I do think he misses Morse, and that that is obvious. 
> 
> I was talking with a friend how Robbie obviously felt comfortable with Morse, enough to see him as a friend. So, that's where this came from.
> 
> Hope you've enjoyed!


End file.
